Contracting Review

[SneakySimon]

Removed

[Hex]

I recently had a catch up with some ex permie buddies of mine who I had not seen for a few years - they were asking about my contracting.

Made me think, that all my contracts have:
1. Had much less responsibility than any previous permie role which paid a 1/3 of what I am on now

yes

2. As a contractor, very few times have I been asked for my opinion, merely to operate in the way that the company goes about things. Any suggestions were met with gentle smiles

in the main

3. Almost every role have demanded I start immediatly yet I have nearly always sat on my ass for 3 weeks with very little to do due to not being set-up, key people on holiday etc etc

same for me - you're not in banking are you?

4. As a PM, many of the roles I did, I am massively over qualified - and acting more as a project co-ordinator while being paid @£500 per day
5. Every role, I have seen massive duplication of roles above me (current project has essentially two prorgamme managers!!) so not a tonne of work for me to do.

what's a PM?

Point being, that you wonder often how much companies think about the contractors that they are hiring and the role we will do. Coupled with that, the company I am at currently gives arbitary costs for the permies on project dependednt upon how in demand they are so in fact, in the P&L, I am cheaper than a permie on £30k per year - insane!!

Am I complaining? My bank balance says no!!

Me neither

[northernladuk]

same for me - you're not in banking are you?

This phenomenon is by no means unique to the banking sector!

(current project has essentially two prorgamme managers!!)

Is one of them a proof reader and spell checker? He needs sacking

[singhr]

I had a gig once where the sole purpose was to burn the clients budget for that year so he could justify it the following.

[Svalbaard]

Hey Simon, I'm also a contractor PM and agree with all of your points.

It's brilliant eh!!!!

My bank balance says stop moaning also :-)

[lje]

My ClientCo is Strange...

I'm also a contract PM and my ClientCo is very strange... First of all they are interested in my opinions and they also give me the right amount of work (mind you - I let them know if I don't have enough - I don't like being bored at work...) I also was set up with a desk / computer / working email account etc within 30 minutes of starting the contract!

On top of that my contract is directly with the ClientCo and if I submit my invoice on a Friday I am paid the following Tuesday! And ClientCo is only 20 minutes from home.


Long may it all stay that way!

[SneakySimon]

Banker Outed!!

Legal

[d000hg]

Yes, I am in banking, though recently made a move into a differnt line of PM where I finally do some real PMing and have some ownership of projects.

Remember one contract was for 9 months, every day I spent 2-3 hours in a meeting room watching films - I couldn't keep up with my lovefilm films! Again, it was insane, they had zero need for me but had to spend the budget and get some sucker to take meeting notes, send out emails etc - all for £500 per day - happy days!!

Funny world contracting!!

On contracts like that, it seems you can justify being able to do the work just as well from home.

[NotAllThere]

I'm also a contract PM and my ClientCo is very strange... First of all they are interested in my opinions and they also give me the right amount of work (mind you - I let them know if I don't have enough - I don't like being bored at work...) I also was set up with a desk / computer / working email account etc within 30 minutes of starting the contract!

On top of that my contract is directly with the ClientCo and if I submit my invoice on a Friday I am paid the following Tuesday! And ClientCo is only 20 minutes from home.


Long may it all stay that way!

Are you me?

[Jeebo72]

All true, and it's great. I had one 12 month contract (tho left after 6 I was that bored) that i did absolutley nothing @450 a day. After first month sat in my car watching tv. Third month on pretty much spent 12 to 5 in the pub before heading home.

Not rewarding at all apart from financially.